The Price We Pay
by LeanaVine
Summary: AU. Dean's younger brother, Sheriff Sam Winchester, drops a bombshell that he's gay. He's actually blown away by just how beautiful Sam's boyfriend is. (Warning of mild violence, minor character death, sex and adultery or cheating. Human!Castiel, Human!Gabriel, Human!Benny. Includes Man/Man. Destiel, Dean/Castiel. Sastiel, Sam/Castiel. Eventual Sabriel, Sam/Gabriel.)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Okay, yes, another new _Supernatural_ story. Yes, I know I already have so many stories going at once right now, but this story idea just kept buzzing in my skull, so I needed to add it to my collection. And it helps me to cope. My ex and I are having a lot of issues right now. All I want is to prove to him that I love him and that now I'm ready to be with him forever, but so far, he isn't willing to hear me out.

Anyway, I hope you guys like this story. It's quite dramatic. And don't forget that if you review, you'll be put on the wall of fame for the next chapter. (Well, since I'm adding two chapters at once, if you guys review either the first or second chapter, your names will be put on the wall of fame for the third chapter. Sound good?)

As always, I do not share any views expressed by any characters in this story. And I own nothing in this story.

Please read, review, and enjoy.

* * *

Dean sighed, tossing his phone into the black, rolling chair a few feet from him. He turned his attention back down to the silver, electric guitar he was holding. "Focus, Dean," he mumbled to himself. Currently, he was attempting to learn the riff from "Madness" by Muse. Although the riff was short, Dean had come to love the song, so he felt a need to learn at least part of it. Ignoring his brother's text messages was breaking his focus, however, and he groaned, unplugging the guitar from the amp and putting it back in the display case he had been sitting by.

He glanced at his watch, then towards the door. Some kid had an appointment with him at 2:30, and so far he was late. Dean didn't accept lateness from other people – though he wasn't exactly punctual himself. He was almost always late with his rent, and he didn't always open the shop on time; but Dean had worked his ass off for years just so that he could open his own instrument shop, so if he wanted to slack off a bit, he would. At Shredder Identity, Dean mostly sold guitars for the past three years, but he carried all instruments under the sun – pianos, harps, electric violins, even ocarinas, if you're into that.

After owning the store for a year or so, Dean had decided he'd start teaching guitar as well. It made his job a little bit more entertaining, getting to see how excited someone got when they learned how to play their favorite song. To apply for Dean's class, all you needed was a guitar, a little cash, and to tell him your favorite song. He would have it learned before it came time for your lesson so that his teaching would be flawless. Most people chose easy songs, others came in wanting to learn Metallica, or AC/DC. The kid that was supposed to be coming in today had wanted to learn "Boom Boom" by ZZ Top. Not exactly the simplest song to start with.

Maybe the kid got cold feet, because now it was 2:43, and still he hadn't shown. Dean stood, walking behind the counter, humming the song lightly. He picked up the phone, dialing that kid's number, because maybe he forgot or he got held up at work. Just as the phone was ringing, his cellphone started buzzing in the chair behind him, begging to be answered. He glared back at the phone, as if his eyes could burn through it to tell Sam to give him some God damn space. The kid wasn't picking up yet, so Dean quickly answered his phone. "Make it snappy, I'm tryin' to call a customer."

"Why haven't you been responding to my texts?"

Dean sighed, sitting down in his chair, holding his cellphone closer to his ear and his work phone a bit farther away, which had now rang about 10 times. "Sammy, I just don't know if I'm ready for all this yet. You gotta admit, you kinda just dropped this all in my lap-"

"Hello?"

Dean murmured a curse under his breath, leaning back to the work phone. "Hey kid, uh…" he looked at the contact information in front of him, "Stuart. You plannin' on comin' in today, or what? I can't wait forever, man. Apparently I have other obligations-"

"Dean?" Sam's voice came from the other phone.

"Hang on, Stuart." Dean switched phones again. "Sam, I have another call, so I can't talk right now-"

"Please, Dean? It's really important to me that you meet him. I-I know I sprung everything on you all of the sudden, but come on. It would really mean a lot to me, please."

Dean was silent, pressing his lips into a flat line. After thinking about it a minute longer, and deciding he didn't really have a choice, he replied, "Just text me a time, and I guess I'll come later. But I swear Sam, if I feel uncomfortable at all, I'm leavin'. I won't hesitate, I'll just walk out."

With that, he hung up, apologizing to Stuart on the other line, who was patiently waiting. They talked for a few minutes, and then rescheduled Stuart's appointment for the next day, same time. Supposedly, Stuart had a little surprise visit from an ex. Dean smiled, chuckling. He remembered his wild, crazy days. Now all he had was his shop and a brother who'd just come out of the closet a few days before. Already, Dean was meeting his brother's _boyfriend_. They'd been dating for two weeks, and Sam didn't want to hide anything from Dean anymore. Dean had been fine not knowing the details of his little brother's romantic life.

His little brother, the sheriff of Sioux Falls, greatly admired by the community, liked penis.

Thoughts like that gave Dean the willies.

* * *

Sam had informed Dean that dinner would be at 7:30, and has asked that he not be late. Just for that, Dean was planning on showing up around 7:45. He closed shop a little after six and then walked next door to Long Live Body Art, the tattoo/piercing parlor that his good buddy Gabriel Novak owned. Gabe had been asking Dean for a long time to come over and get a tattoo of some kind, but Dean had always turned him down. The secret was, badass Dean Winchester didn't like needles.

Upon walking in, Dean was hit with a wall of why-is-the-air-so-smoky air and slow rock music with no lyrics. He smiled as he rubbed his eyes, which were struggling to adjust to the dimmed light from the somewhat-brighter sunlight outside. Why did it always have to feel like a cross between a Halloween haunted house and a strip club in there?

"Hey Deano," called out a voice from across the parlor. Dean raised his head and followed the voice to the back, where Gabriel was giving a tattoo to a rather bulbous, bald man on the back of his neck. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked, wiping away some of the black ink from the outline of the flaming motorcycle helmet he was currently tracing.

Dean half smiled down at the customer who was trying to tough it out. "How you holdin' up buddy? I wish I could tell you it gets better, but I honestly have no idea." He then looked at Gabriel, who was focusing intently on his work. "I can come back tomorrow, since you're busy."

Gabriel shook his head, pulling back his needle and looking up at Dean, a brow crooked. "Do you seriously underestimate me so much that you think your talking to me could make me screw up this tattoo? I've been doing this for thirteen years. Show a little respect, music boy." He looked back down to his customer, continuing without warning, which made the man jump slightly. "Don't flinch, man, unless you want a tattoo of a squiggly line."

Laughing a little, Dean put his hands in his pockets. "Okay, okay, calm down. Don't get your feathers ruffled." He paused when Gabriel shot him a look, then half smiled. "Anyway, I came over to give you a bit of juicy news, but if you're gonna be rude, forget about it."

"Dean, don't be sucha tease. Cough it up, already." When Dean said nothing, Gabriel paused in making the tattoo to glance up at Dean, waiting patiently. "Are we going there, Dean? Is that what you're trying to tell me? Really?" Dean remained silent, just grinning and Gabriel sighed. "You know, Dean, you ruin my self-esteem with this. You are single-handedly bringing my confidence down to swim with the fishes."

"Whatever you say, Gabe," the taller man stated, crossing his arms, "but you know my policy. You're not gettin' anything outta me until you say it." Dean half smiled when Gabe just sighed, returning to his work momentarily with a new color. Gabriel was really going to flip when he found out that Sam was gay. It had been no secret that Gabe had been crushing on Sam for a really long time, though the shorter man had only just admitted it to Dean a few months ago. Gabriel had a hard time saying it, and Dean didn't exactly have an easy time with the news, but it hadn't been as difficult as when he found out about his little brother's sexuality.

Honestly, Dean couldn't see any reason now why Sam shouldn't like Gabriel back. Sure, it'd be awkward at first seeing his brother with his best friend – or at least, the closest person he had to a best friend outside of Sam – holding hands or kissing or whatever, but Dean would rather it all be with Gabe than anyone else. Gabriel wasn't completely unattractive, from a heterosexual point of view. He did have quite a few piercings, though Dean wasn't sure if that would be a turn off to Sam. Gabe had metallic, spiked snakebites, black 0g gauges, and at one point, Gabe had mentioned having piercings somewhere else that weren't visible with clothes on, but Dean didn't poke that bear. When Gabe wore sleeveless shirts, Dean could see that he had a tattoo of a rose with red petals and a black stem, which started on his left shoulder, the stem stretching down like long, black vines with sharp-looking thorns that ran down his bicep, ending at the beginning of his forearm. Gabriel also had a black tattoo of a dragonfly inside of his right wrist, but when Dean asked about it, Gabe had turned away, saying it was personal, so Dean left it alone.

The man under Gabe's needle squirmed, as if growing impatient, and Gabriel sighed, looking up at Dean again. "Okay, Dean, okay. This is what you want?" And thus, the spoils that Dean had been waiting for came forth – Gabe pouted. His eyes lit up like a whipped puppy in a commercial playing Sarah McLachlan music and the strongest men could've fallen when that bottom lip started quivering. "Please Dean? Please tell me the juicy news."

Dean laughed, and Gabe rolled his eyes, moving a bit quicker with the tattoo, earning a few mumblings from the man he was working on. "Okay, don't strain yourself," Dean said, waving a hand. "I'll tell you; you're going to go nuts." When Gabe switched colors again, Dean sighed through his nose, waiting to have his friend's full attention. "Come on, Gabe, this is super important. You're gonna lose your shit, I swear."

Gabriel paused, looking at Dean again. He searched Dean's eyes, then nodded. "Okay. Just let me finish this poor guy, and we'll talk." The customer visibly relaxed, and Dean smiled, nodding before walking away. "Sorry about that. He's a friend." Gabe could sense the bald man rolling his eyes, but he didn't care. He could only concentrate on what Dean could possibly have to say. Had he acquired a super rare guitar? Maybe he learned a new, amazing song. Or, quite possibly, Dean might be ready for a tattoo, or even a piercing.

While he waited, Dean looked over the wall of tattoo designs, glancing every now and then to another chair, where Gabe's red-headed coworker Charlie was giving a tattoo of a bird to a smoking hot blonde. Charlie was actually devoid of piercings, except for a small nose stud, but what she lacked in piercings, she made up for in tattoos. Gabe had told Dean once that the spunky redhead's first tattoo was of Princess Leia in her space slave bikini straddling a 20-sided die – from her nerdier days. They shared a good laugh over that, though they'd never let Charlie know. She had a way of making someone feel inferior with a certain look she would give.

"Stop staring," Charlie called after a few minutes. "Women are friends, not food." The blonde underneath her giggled, jiggling slightly. The redhead put a hand on her should. "Don't move, sweetie. I'd hate to scar you for life in a bad way."

Dean rolled his eyes. "As if you have anything to worry about from me." Charlie shot him her look, shutting him up immediately. Often, Dean liked to tease Charlie about the fact that she was a lesbian, though she thought it was because he'd always had a crush on her. Dean stopped to think about it, wondering when, how and why all the people surrounding him suddenly became gay.

Finally, Gabriel came jogging out to join him. "Thinking of getting one today, brother?" he asked, slapping a hand on the taller man's shoulder.

Dean cocked a brow at him. "What? You crazy? No. I have news about Sam."

"Oh, do tell." Gabe smiled, leaning on the wall of tattoos. Anytime anyone even mentioned Sam, he lit up, and suddenly didn't seem like he could kick anyone's ass. Unless, of course, they said something bad about Sam, then the ass kicking would begin.

Dean smiled. "Just as a fair warning, this is beyond anythin' you've ever heard before about anyone. Seriously, you're not gonna believe this."

Gabriel sighed. "God dammit, Dean, will you just tell me already? I hate suspense, you know I do." Dean glared, and the shorter man rolled his eyes. "Okay, so I like suspense as long as it has no effect on me. Just spit it out already!"

With a nod, Dean cleared his throat, suddenly not sure how to say what he wanted to say. He had planned on just telling Gabriel that he had a date with another guy, but then he thought about how crushed Gabe might be, so decided it would be best to leave out the part about his brother still not being available to him. "Sam is gay."

Gabriel choked, rather loudly, so much that Charlie jumped, but luckily she wasn't holding her needle to the blonde's tanned skin. "Jesus, Gabriel!" she yelled, putting the hand to her chest that wasn't holding her needle.

Dean was trying not to laugh at how Gabriel was doubled over, trying to catch his breath. "You…you can't be serious," he finally muttered. "If you're joking with me, I'm going to rip your spleen out through your ass, and you will never get it back."

"Look, if that's how you dirty talk, I might have to tell Sam to look elsewhere. I can't have you tearin' my brother a new one, no matter how romantic you're tryin' to be." Gabriel punched him in the arm. Dean could be so annoying when he was being cheeky.

"Are you seriously going to stand there and tell me, that your little brother, Sheriff Sam Winchester, is a genuine homosexual?" Gabriel asked, looking straight into Dean's eyes without blinking. Before Dean could respond, he added, "Because I swear to God, if you are kidding right now-"

"Gabe, I'm not jokin'," Dean assured him, hands up in a defensive stance from Gabriel's hostility. "God, I thought you would've been happy."

"I'm fucking ecstatic!" Gabriel shoved him – a little harder than he meant to – then ran hands through his hair, gripping on tight. Obviously, he was being overcome with emotions at the moment. "So, so wait." He turned back to Dean, grabbing at his shirt. "Why did he tell you that he was gay? Did he have a reason?"

Of course, Gabe would have to ask a question like that. Dean sighed, hoping that this situation wouldn't turn out too badly. "He…actually told me, because he wants me to have dinner with him and his…boyfriend, tonight." With that, the way Gabriel looked completely changed. It was like seeing a bird that had just learned to fly, and then cutting its wings off. "But, they've only been datin' for like a couple of weeks, so maybe they aren't serious."

Gabriel just shook his head, a small smile coming back to his face. "No, don't do that for me, Dean. Don't try to give me false hope. We both know that Sam would never want you to meet someone he was dating unless it was serious. Especially since this someone in a mister." He looked down at the floor. "It's okay… It's not like anything has changed. I never thought I had a chance with him, anyway."

Dean could only frown. There was nothing he could really say. What could he say? Finally, Sam came out of the closet, and he just had to be already spoken for. In what universe was this fair? What in God's name was he supposed to say right now? That if Gabe had said something sooner, maybe he'd be the one with Sam?

"So, what's his name?" Gabe asked, looking up at Dean again. Dean noted that his eyes were starting to turn red, which he'd never seen before.

"Umm, he had some kind of biblical name, or something. It was like…" Dean pondered, leaning a hand on the wall. "Uh…maybe Carmen? Is that a boy's name?" Gabriel shook his head, and Dean paused to think on it more. "Cast-…Castiel?"

Gabriel gasped loudly, shoving Dean so hard that he flew back and fell to the floor. "Shut the hell up! Your little brother is dating my baby bro?!"

Dean's eyes widened from where he lay on the floor, leaning up on his elbows. "You have a little brother?" Gabriel just nodded, seemingly in shock. "And…he's dating my brother?" Gabriel nodded again. "The…brother that you wanted to date."

"Just, stop talking already. Please, Dean. Just shut up."


	2. Chapter 2

After leaving Gabe's shop, Dean headed home to take a shower and mentally prepare himself for the night ahead of him. He would be having dinner with Sam and Gabe's little brother, Castiel. During Dean's shower, he started to wonder what Castiel was going to be like, if he acted anything like Gabriel. He smiled as he tried to imagine his little brother with a shorter, scrawnier version of Gabriel, covered in tattoos and wearing black eyeliner. The thought made him shudder and shake his head. Sam would never go for a man that wore makeup. Would he?

By the time Dean was done with his shower, it was about a quarter to seven. He was still planning to show up late around 7:45, so there was no point in leaving yet. Sam only lived a few blocks away. Dean just hated having to sit around and wait. His anxiety started to eat away at him. What kind of impression did he want to make on this guy? If he was too accepting, that might give off the vibe that Dean would be okay with seeing them making out on the couch, plus he'd probably sound really fake. But if he was a douche that hardly interacted with the new guy, Sam might get so pissed that he shut Dean out of his life.

After pondering on the subject for a while, Dean decided it'd be best to act like the best man at a wedding – kind of awkward, and making up jokes to fill in empty silences, while still being nice about everything, only making it slightly evident how uncomfortable he really was. That would have to work, because it was the only way Dean was sure he could act without making Sam angry or losing his dignity.

When it was 7:15, Dean decided to leave. It had come to him that Sam might've forgotten to get some pie, and Dean knew that this was going to be an I-need-my-damn-pie-before-I-erupt kind of night. He decided to walk, because it would take longer, and he might look stupid if he drove just a few blocks to Sam's house.

There was a small grocery store a few streets away in the opposite direction from Sam's house, and Dean headed that way first, pulling up the collar on his jacket. It was slightly chilly tonight, but it felt good. The store didn't carry many varieties of pie, but even so, Dean was torn in his decision. At his disposal were two blueberry pies, a cherry pie, a pecan pie, and some kind of lemon pie. Immediately, Dean decided against the lemon pie. He only liked lemon pies when they were lemon meringue, and that was for special occasions. Then, he started thinking about what kind of pie this gentleman friend of Sam's might like. He didn't want to get something he'd be eating alone – even if the thought was tempting.

Feeling much like a finicky girl, Dean pulled out his phone to text Sam. **What kind of pie should I get? **He returned the phone to his pocket, rocking on his heels. Mere seconds later, the reply came, and Dean nodded, pulling the cherry pie from the shelf. After paying for it, it was back out into the night air, which somehow seemed chillier than before.

When he reached Sam's house, it was 7:41. Not quite as late as he'd been wanting, but it would have to do. He knocked, feeling awkward just standing at the door with a pie in his hands. This felt too much like those moments in the movies where the woman from next door brought over a pie or casserole because you were new to the neighborhood. Dean _was_ welcoming this Castiel guy, into his life anyway. It wasn't like he had much of a choice in the matter.

Sam appeared in the doorway, smiling brightly before he pulled his brother into a tight hug. Dean had to quickly move the pie out of the way to save its life. "You don't even understand how much this means to me," Sam told him, his head ducked down onto Dean's shoulder.

With that, Dean sighed. By the way Sam was talking, Gabriel had been right before. This wasn't just a fling. Sam was really into this new guy, and Gabriel's chances of ending up with Sam looked slim to none. "Just show him to me already," Dean said with a chuckle, and Sam released him, allowing him to now come inside. He grunted when Sam's German shepherd, Bruce, came trotting out of the kitchen to look up at Dean with a dumb, tongue-hanging-out grin. "Seriously, Sam? Why do you even let this guy in the house?" He knelt down to rub the dog's head, ruffling his ears. "Mangy mutt. Stay away from the pie." He stood again, smiling.

"Umm, Dean," Sam started, regaining Dean's attention and directing it to the man sitting on the couch, who now stood, "this is Castiel Novak." Dean paused, a bit of fear setting in. Castiel had dark brown, tousled hair, which he ran a hand through. He wore a dark blue sweater, the collar of a white shirt poking out from underneath, and dark grey slacks. Even though this guy looked so proper, he had 5 o'clock shadow, which made him look more like a regular guy. But it was his eyes that really took Dean by surprise. His eyes were a deep blue color, and it made Dean think of science books from high school that had satellite pictures of Earth, where you could see the color of the atmosphere change from light blue to black. Dean had always thought it was the edge of Heaven. Castiel's eyes were the color of that last, fleeting color of blue before the sky turned infinitely black.

Dean had hardly noticed that Castiel was holding out a hand for him to shake. Feeling slightly awkward, he moved the pie into his other hand to return the gesture. "Hey man. Nice to meet you. I'm Dean, Sam's older brother, but you probably already knew that."

Castiel chuckled in his throat, and Dean swallowed most of his nervousness. "From what I hear, you're good friends with my older brother, Gabriel. He mentioned you a few times, but he talked about a lot of people, so no names ever really stuck with me."

"Yeah, well, he never mentioned you," Dean replied with a scoff. "No one really did until today." He looked at Sam, noticing the glare he was being given, and shrugged.

"I know that all of this must be very awkward for you," Castiel stated, looking down at the carpet. "I hadn't known that Sam was keeping all of this a secret from you until two days ago. I had thought you were fully aware of your brother's sexuality."

Sam cleared his throat, intervening at this point. "So, Dean, let me take this pie from you." He slid it out of Dean's hand before he could get a response. "Dinner is gonna be ready soon, I'll just go check on it." Sam disappeared into the kitchen, and Dean sighed, moving to sit down on the couch.

Castiel sat next to him, reminding himself to leave a buffer zone of about two feet between them. He cleared his throat before saying, "You probably don't think very much of me right now, and I understand that." Dean laughed once, and Castiel turned his eyes back down to the carpet again. "For tonight, though, can we try to get along, for his sake? You can hate me all that you want tomorrow, as long as Sam doesn't know."

Dean was silent for a moment before sighing and turning to Castiel. "I don't hate you; I don't even know you. And I don't want you to think that I'm homophobic or anything like that. I've known that Gabriel's gay for a long time, and that never bothered me." Dean paused, just realizing that Castiel might not know Gabe's secret, but since he didn't say anything, Dean continued. "It's just, Sammy's my brother, and this is all kinda sudden for me. I mean, I just found out today that all of this was goin' on. It came as a shock." He laughed, rubbing his chin. "I mean, a year ago, he was in this serious relationship with a girl named Amelia, and she was in no way masculine." He laughed again, but then noticed Castiel looked embarrassed, so he decided to drop the subject.

They were quiet for a few minutes before Castiel smiled, turning on the couch so that he was facing Dean. He began to roll up his left sleeve, which confused Dean until he noticed the tattoo. There was a five inch long feather on the inside of Castiel's forearm, outlined and shaded with black. "This was my first tattoo. It hurt like hell."

Dean chuckled, taking Castiel's wrist so that he could examine the tattoo further. "Did Gabe do this?"

Castiel shook his head, trying to hold back laughs. "No, and he was so pissed when he found out I got it with someone else." Both he and Dean started to crack up, and Castiel pulled his sleeve back down. "He didn't talk to me for weeks, and then he demanded that I let him give me a tattoo of his own."

With a smile, Dean asked, "Oh yeah? What'd he give you?"

The other man reached back, putting a hand on his right shoulder. "He gave me a huge tattoo on my back. It took hours. I had to come back in the next day so he could finish the shading. It took everything I had not to cry on the drive home."

Dean winced, and shook his head. "That's why I'm stayin' away from tattoos. But what is is of? Is it like a huge tree or something?"

Castiel shook his head, smiling. "Nope, I don't tell anyone what that tattoo is of. It's kind of a secret." He had kind of a dorky smile, Dean noticed.

"Well, someone must see it from time to time," Dean more asked than stated, knitting his eyebrows together. When the other man shook his head, he added, "Do you just constantly wear sweaters to cover it up?"

"Yeah, and it's not because it's a bad looking tattoo. I just really like sweaters, even during the summer. They're comfy and they look nice." Dean was quiet for a moment, then he burst out into laughter, doubling over on the couch. Castiel laughed a little too, not because he understood, but because Dean's laughter was contagious. "What's so funny?"

"Nothin', nothin', just…" he paused to catch his breath, then said, "I was waitin' for you to say something gay like that."

Castiel's eyes widened, then he laughed too. He should've been offended, but he guessed that this was just the kind of guy Dean was. "Really hilarious," he retorted sarcastically.

Dean's laughing calmed down, and he waved a hand, as if he could chase away the laughter like it was a fly. "No, but seriously, I get what Sam sees in you. You are pretty beautiful."

With that, they both got quiet, and Castiel looked at Dean with a bewildered expression, his perfect lips puckered in a silent question, eyebrows raised. "Wait, what did you say?"

The older man shrugged. "Not in a mean way. I'm not sayin' you look like a girl or anything, just…for a man, you're really beautiful." He noticed Castiel's blush, and he chuckled, adding, "Your eyes are like nothin' I've ever seen before. They're otherworldly." Castiel only blinked, then turned away from him, looking down at the carpet again. Dean's smile faded, and he started to feel like he might've made a mistake. "Sorry if I offended you, or something.

"No, no," Castiel replied, shaking his head. "It's not…I just wasn't expecting that.

* * *

The rest of the night, no one talked very much. Sam tried his hardest, trying to stir up conversation on whatever subject he could. It always spurred a few replies, but not much else, and then everything would return to the awkward silence that just wouldn't _die_. Dean felt so guilty, like it was all his fault. He couldn't think of what might've possessed him to tell another man that he was beautiful, even if he was just trying to be nice. Dean wanted to justify what he'd said, like maybe on some level he was trying to see why Sam was gay for Castiel and come to terms with it, or maybe it was because he really just thought Castiel had beautiful eyes, and the rest of him didn't look too bad either.

On top of all of that, Sam's spaghetti was awful. His little brother had never been very good at cooking, but Dean force-fed himself the soggy, tasteless noodles in order to keep Sam happy. He'd eaten all his meatballs long ago, the only good part of the meal. At one point, as his mouth was full of the abysmal noodles, he glanced up to see that Castiel was holding back laughter, no doubt in reaction to the more than displeased face Dean must've been making, and it made him smile. He sat up, swallowed, and clapped his hands together. "Who wants pie?"

As he stood, Sam looked up at him, saying, "But, you didn't even finish your spaghetti."

Dean looked around, sliding his hands into his pockets. "Yeah, because I'm savin' room for pie." With that, he walked into the kitchen, where he found his pie on the counter, still in the box. He shook his head, walking over and turning on the oven.

"What're you doing?" Sam asked, walking into the kitchen and closing the door behind him. His arms were crossed, like he was mad, but Dean knew better. "I thought it was already cooked."

With a sigh, Dean answered, "Of course it was already cooked, but you 'ought to know by now that if you buy a pie in a store, you should always warm it up in the oven." After putting in the pie, he turned back to Sam, leaning against the counter. "Think it's such a good idea to leave your boyfriend alone? He'll think we're talkin' about him."

"I did want to talk about him." Sam cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck. "You like him, right? I mean, you approve of him?"

Dean chewed the inside of his cheek and hummed as he thought. "I don't really have a reason to hate him." He smiled. "Honestly Sam, he seems nice enough, he's just…I guess he's not what I was expectin'."

Same scoffed. "Were you expecting a flamboyant man in a dress?" Dean laughed, turning away from him to look in the oven. "Or no, maybe you thought he'd have long, flowing, blond hair with glitter on his eyes."

"That's not what I meant, Sam. I'm not that stereotypical," Dean said over his shoulder. When Sam gave him a questioning look, like _where did you learn the word stereotypical_, he laughed. It was quiet between them for a second before Dean asked, "So…how serious are you guys at this point?"

"Dean."

Dean turned back to face Sam again. "I'm just askin' because Gabe didn't even know you guys were datin', or that we were havin' dinner tonight. So if you guys are serious he should get to know, too. It shouldn't be secret."

Sam gave Dean a curious look. "Why would Gabriel care how serious we are?"

Dean bit his tongue, realizing that he was defending Gabe's secret crush on Sam. "Because, he's Castiel's big brother, so he must feel the same way about Castiel that I feel about you, bein' protective durin' all of this." That didn't really sound right. It wasn't like Castiel was a wild animal that Dean needed to protect Sam from. He sighed. "Look, all of this is just really going to take some gettin' used to for me."

With a nod, Sam replied, "I understand, Dean, I really do. I'm just so glad that you've been nice to him tonight. I don't expect you to really like him yet, but the fact that your trying makes me feel better about everything." Dean nodded, kneeling down to peek in the oven, and Sam rocked on his heels. "As for how serious we are, we uh, haven't done much yet. It didn't feel right, being with someone that I had to hide from you." When Dean gave him a look, Sam raised his hands. "I know, you're a lot more understanding than I give you credit for. But honestly, we've just had dinner a few times, nothing else."

"Do you have sissy pet names yet?" Dean asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sam laughed, putting his hands in his back pockets. "Yeah, uh, I have one for him. He hasn't made up any for me yet." As Dean rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to his pie, Sam added, "I just didn't want to get too attached to him until I was sure you'd be okay with everything."

"Well, it's okay with me," Dean said without looking back at his brother, and without much enthusiasm in his voice. "Seriously, Sam, you need to make your own decisions without carin' so much about what other people think."

"Not other people," Sam corrected him, "just you. And Mom."

"Oh yeah," Dean said, standing with a loud pop of his knees, "have you told her yet?" The look on Sam's face said enough. "If you're hopin' I'll be there when you tell her, I don't think you need me. There's no way Mom is goin' to disapprove of her baby boy findin' happiness." He half smiled. "But she might be mad that you let me have dinner with him before her. Why didn't you just invite her tonight?"

"Ladies poker night with Ellen and a few other girls." Sam shrugged. "I was thinking maybe Castiel and I could have lunch with her Sunday after church. Do you think it'd be a bad idea for him and me to show up at church together?"

"Not unless you want the whole town to start gossipin' about the sheriff and his boyfriend." He looked at his pie again. "I don't know, do you think it's warm enough yet?"


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Wow, you guys really seem to like this story, so I made a longer chapter this time. So far, I have most of the story planned out, but I'm still working on it. Like, I know what happens later, and I know how it ends, but I'm not to sure what all to put in the next chapter. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy!

* * *

"So, what's the story with your little brother?" Dean asked Gabe as they sat in his store. Gabriel was slowly spinning on a swivel stool, holding out his coffee as if that would save it from sloshing. Dean was sitting backwards in his black computer chair, arms folded on the back of the chair, just watching Gabe.

Gabriel stopped spinning, shaking his head a little. "His story?"

"Yeah, how come I've never met him before?"

"He just moved in with me around a month and a half ago." Gabe shrugged. "I guess things were crappy where he was living, so I offered up my home to him. He got a job at the high school, he replaced the 11th grade English teacher." Dean nodded, thinking that was believable. Castiel was too classy-looking to do anything that could be viewed as demeaning. "Anyway, he comes off as a real killjoy," Gabriel said. "Sometimes it can be hard to live with him."

Dean laughed once. "I was so surprised when I saw him. He's nothing like you at all."

After taking a drink of his coffee, Gabriel countered, "He used to be kinda crazy, when he was younger. There's a video on YouTube of him singing "The Bad Touch" with this buddy of his, Balthazar."

Choking, Dean nearly lost his shit, looking at Gabriel with wide eyes. "You _can't_ be serious. That guy? He acts like he's been doin' nothing but havin' tea parties for the past fifteen years." He couldn't imagine Castiel singing a song about having sex like animals.

Gabriel shook his head. "Like I said, he was a real goofball in college."

"How old is he?" Dean asked.

Gabe had to think about it for a minute or two before he said, "I think he's 29. Yeah, cause I'm 34, so that's about right. But that video got super popular for a while." He chuckled, taking another drink of his coffee. "I only wish he was still that fun."

As Gabriel got up to leave, Dean stopped him. "Hey, one last question." Gabriel turned, one eyebrow arched, and Dean asked, "What was the tattoo you gave him?"

Then Gabriel was smiling, a coy little smile. "I told him that if you have a sexy tattoo, you don't let guys see it, because they'll go so crazy wanting to know what it is, they'll never stop thinking about it. _That's _why he keeps it secret. If he's not interested in you, he'll just tell you what it is. It's the one fun thing about my baby bro – he's a tease."

For the next few hours, Dean could only envision Castiel singing, _"You and me baby ain't nothing but mammals so let's do it like they do on the Discovery Channel."_

* * *

Dean really wanted to know what Castiel's tattoo was. He wanted to know even more why Castiel didn't tell him what the tattoo was. Gabe had said Cas only kept the tattoo a secret from the people he was attracted to, so did that mean Castiel was attracted to him? Dean wanted to throw that option out the window. First of all, he couldn't care less about Castiel's feelings towards him, and he really didn't care what the tattoo was of. Second of all, Castiel probably didn't tell him because he thought he would tell Sam. Because Sam hadn't seen it by then, right? They'd just had dinner a few times.

Things were a bit slow that day – maybe because of the rain – so he decided to close up a little early and headed next door to Long Live Body Art, not bothering to take an umbrella because he'd only be in the rain for a second. He didn't expect to see a very upset-looking Castiel, drenched and talking to Gabriel. His dark green sweater was sagging on his small frame, probably weighed down with water. Dean slowly approached.

"Please, Gabriel," Castiel was pleading, looking frustrated.

"Well then how am I supposed to get home?" Gabriel asked, crossing his arms. In his sleeveless shirt, his awesome rose tattoo was on perfect display.

"I'll come back and get you," Castiel told him. He looked exhausted running a hand through his wet, tousled hair. He was dripping a little bit, and Dean wondered how someone could get _that _wet from the rain, unless they'd been out in it for an hour.

Gabriel sighed. "Can't you just wait here until I close? It's five hours, really."

With a loud groan, Castiel shook his head. "You expect me to stay here for that long in sopping wet clothes?"

"What's the issue, fellas?" Dean asked, rubbing his hands together. "And what the hell happened to you?" This was directed at Castiel, who looked like he'd just washed up on a beach.

Castiel sighed an exasperated sigh, letting his hands fall to his sides. "You have no idea what I've been through. My _car _broke down, and I had to walk. In the rain. I have papers to grade, and I had to leave them in the car because I couldn't get them wet. And now I don't have a ride home." Dean noticed then that he was shivering.

Dean looked at Gabe first, then back to Castiel. "Well, I can give you a ride home. I was headin' out myself. I don't mind droppin' you off."

The look in Castiel's eyes resembled that of a small child on Christmas morning. "You really wouldn't mind? That would be so great."

With a smile that made his eyes crinkle, Dean shook his head. "It's not a problem, really. Come on, we can leave now." He started heading for the door, not waiting for protests. For some reason, though, he felt like Gabriel's eyes were boring into the back of his head.

Dean and Castiel fast walked between the shops to the small parking lot in the back, and Dean quickly unlocked the car so they could get inside. First thing after he started the impala, Dean turned on the heat, leaving it on low because the air would come out cold at first and he didn't want to get Castiel sick. As he backed out of his parking spot, he told Castiel, "Why don't you take off that sweater? You can toss it in the backseat until we get to Gabe's place."

Castiel didn't hesitate to take the sweater off. The white button up shirt he was wearing underneath was so wet it was see through and clung to Castiel's small figure. When his back was turned so he could get his head out of the sweater, Dean briefly saw a mass of black through his shirt stretching from the top of Castiel's right shoulder down into his pants. Dean just swallowed, concentrating on the road after that.

When the vents were blowing out hot air, Dean turned up the intensity, turning the vents that were on his side towards Castiel, who smiled at him appreciatively. "Thanks again for the ride, Dean. I really appreciate it."

"You'd better," Dean said sarcastically. "I don't just do favors for people whenever. I'm a real Boo Radley."

Castiel cocked his head to the side, eyes narrowing as a smile slipped onto his face. "You know about Boo Radley?"

Dean nodded, not looking away from the road. "'Course. That was the only book I paid attention to in high school. I called Sam Jem for years, and he never got it."

Then Castiel laughed, and it was really heartwarming. The sound made this enormous smile stretch on Dean's face. "Wow, I hardly ever run into anyone who's actually read _To Kill a Mockingbird_," Castiel told him."The kids in my class give me such a hard time about having to read it."

Dean cleared his throat before quoting Atticus, saying, "I do my best to love everybody. I'm hard put, sometimes – baby, it's never an insult to be called what somebody thinks is a bad name. It just shows you how poor that person is, it doesn't hurt you." Castiel laughed again, clapping, and Dean attempted to bow his head once, still watching the road. "That's probably my favorite quote ever," he said to Castiel with a goofy grin.

Castiel just sat back, still smiling at Dean. "You really are something, you know that? You _and _your brother."

"Must be a Winchester thing," Dean said, half smiling.

"Yeah, I guess it must be."

* * *

When they stopped in front of Gabe's house, Dean just looked at Castiel like he was dropping him off after a date. He wasn't really sure what he was supposed to say. Castiel looked at him the same way, his mouth halfway open as if he wanted to say something, but couldn't. Finally, Castiel asked, "Umm, I don't suppose you'd mind coming in for a bit first, would you?" Dean cocked a brow at him, and Castiel chuckled once, nervously. "I thought maybe after I change into something dry, we could go to the auto shop? I _really _need those papers out of my car, and I hate asking, but Gabe's not going to want to do it. They're tests, and they _have _to be graded by tomo-"

"Castiel," Dean said to stop him. He half smiled. "That's fine with me. I literally have nothin' better to do." As he unbuckled his seatbelt, he said, "I'm assumin' you'll offer me coffee when we're inside?"

Castiel nodded, smiling at him. "Yeah, of course. I was actually hoping you'd let me make you dinner before we go." That caught Dean off guard a bit. "I made pound cake a few days ago, too, if you're interested."

Dean looked like he was questioning that. "I'm really more of a pie person," he confessed.

With another nod, Castiel said, "I understand. Sam warned me about that." He turned, reaching into the backseat to retrieve his sweater. His ass was up in the air for approximately 17 seconds, and Dean was taken aback to realize he'd been staring. Well, it was a _really _great ass, anyone could see that if they had working eyes.

Then, they sprinted up the sidewalk leading to Gabe's front door, finding shelter from the rain under his porch. Castiel was shivering so much that he fumbled with his keys while he was trying to put them in the lock. They walked inside and Castiel walked around turning on lamps. "Make yourself comfortable," he called out to Dean as he headed down the hall.

Dean took off his jacket, hanging it on Gabe's coatrack by the door. He decided he might as well pull off his shoes too, since they'd be staying a while. Though he'd been to Gabe's house to pick him up before, Dean had never been inside of his house. They usually hung out at Dean's house because Gabe said he had a better TV. Dean paced around the room, looking at the pictures on the walls. It was a lot home-ier than he'd been expecting.

Castiel came back in a light blue, button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and dark blue jeans, his hair a little drier. Dean smiled, because this was the most casual he'd seen the younger man. Castiel immediately went to the kitchen, putting on a white apron. "How's poppy seed chicken sound?" Castiel asked over his shoulder, because Dean sauntered after him into the kitchen.

His eyes a bit wide, Dean nodded, smiling. "That sounds fantastic, actually."

"And maybe you'll change your mind about the pound cake?" Castiel pondered with a little smile. He was getting ingredients from the cabinets to prepare the meal with.

Dean pretended to look really stressed out. "Geez, I dunno Cas. It might make me feel like I'm cheatin' on pie if I start eatin' cake."

Castiel laughed a little, then stopped what he was doing to just look at Dean, his smile fading, but not looking upset. "You called me Cas."

They were both quiet, and Dean was a little worried. "I'm…I'm sorry, was that the wrong thing to say?" he asked. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his faded jeans.

After being still for a few more seconds, Castiel smiled again, shaking his head and getting out the rest of the stuff he needed to make dinner. "No, I just didn't expect you to give me a nickname."

* * *

Dean sat back in his chair, a hand on his stomach, letting out a groan of pleasure. Castiel laughed a little, just watching him. Dean had nearly cleared his second plate of poppy seed chicken, and he was surrendering. "God, Cas, that was incredible."

Dean didn't catch how Castiel looked a little nervous after hearing that. Castiel wet his lips, standing to take Dean's plate, stacking it on his own, the clatter of forks on the plates bringing Dean from his reverie. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. So, you don't have any room for cake, right?" After hearing another groan from Dean, he laughed in a way that sounded kind of like giggling, and he nodded, taking the plates to the sink to wash them.

As he sat back up in his chair, Dean just watched Castiel wash the dishes, a little smile on his face. He didn't mean to say, "We should do this again sometime." Castiel looked back at him, cocking his head to the side, and Dean chuckled once nervously, clarifying. "You're a way better cook than Sam, and I don't really like cookin'. Plus you're not such a bad guy."

"And I'm a beautiful man right?" Castiel mumbled, and Dean almost didn't hear it over the _clink_ of the dishes in the sink. Castiel just stopped moving, glancing over his shoulder, waiting for Dean to say something. The expression on his face was unreadable, but he didn't look angry.

Dean wasn't really sure what he was supposed to do or say. He just cleared his throat awkwardly, leaving the kitchen and going into the living room. As he slipped into his shoes, he checked his phone. He had three text messages, two from Gabe and one from Sam, and three missed calls, all from Sam. He sighed, putting his phone back in his pocket. He'd deal with it all when he got home.

"Dean." He turned around, and Castiel was standing in the doorway of the kitchen, now without the apron, a worried look on his face. "I'm sorry." He wrung his hands in front of himself, looking like the nerd on the playground that was worried he was about to be beaten up.

With a little smile, Dean shook his head. "Nah, don't worry about it. I just…forgot that I said that to you. It didn't piss you off, did it?"

Castiel let out a little nervous laugh, dropping his hands to his sides. "No. Like I told you then, I just wasn't expecting it."

They were quiet before Dean cleared his throat again. He murmured quietly, "I wasn't lyin' then."

Castiel just looked at him with wide eyes, and they fell silent again. They didn't talk the whole ride to the auto shop, and Dean waited in the car while Cas went inside to retrieve his papers. Once he was back in the impala, they headed back to Gabe's house, still not saying anything. The radio wasn't on either, so it was just way too quiet.

When they pulled back up to Gabe's house, the lights were on, so they knew that Gabriel was home. Castiel smiled a little, looking down at his feet. "Well, I'm going to be in trouble for not talking to him all this time."

Dean chuckled. "I'm gonna get hell from Sam for not returnin' his texts." Why did it feel like they were teenagers who snuck out after curfew and were about to be grounded?

Castiel looked at him, cocking his head to the side again like he did when he was thinking. "I totally forgot to tell your brother that we were having dinner tonight. I hope he doesn't get angry with me."

"Or jealous," Dean blurted. He bit the inside of his cheek, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel.

He was surprised to hear Castiel laugh. "Don't worry. I'll tell him we're simply platonic." With that, he climbed out of the impala, walking back up to the house. Dean watched him the entire time, until he disappeared behind the door.

* * *

Sam had plenty of questions for Dean that night. His phone was ringing as he came in, and Dean had to jog to catch it. His questions all involved Castiel, and Sam sounded more worried than necessary. It gave Dean an odd feeling, like maybe Sam didn't trust him. Or he really was jealous. Did he think that Dean was _actually _interested in Cas?

Well, he might if Cas had told him that Dean called him beautiful.

Dean slammed himself into his bed, face down, grumbling. He felt like such an idiot for ever saying that in the first place. Castiel was probably never going to let it go. Hell, he'd brought it up again that night, and he had a weird attitude about it when he said it. Like maybe Castiel was pissed about it but he wouldn't admit it. Dean had probably offended him when he'd said it their first time meeting.

He really hoped Castiel wouldn't tell anyone else. If Gabe ever found out, he'd never let Dean off the hook for it. Mr. Strickly Heterosexual Dean. Calling some man beautiful.

That night, Dean hardly slept. He kept turning in his bed, because no position was comfortable. His back was aching for some reason, and his stomach was churning. At first, he wanted to think maybe the chicken wasn't sitting well with him, but there was no way. Castiel would never serve anything that could make anyone sick, Dean already knew that.

It was nerves. It was Dean feeling anxiety about calling Castiel beautiful and staring at his ass for those 17 seconds in the car and still wanting to know what his fucking tattoo was and wondering what it meant that Castiel still hadn't told him what it was yet.

_If he's not interested in you, he'll just tell you what it is. It's the one fun thing about my baby bro – he's a tease._

And he thought about how Castiel said they were _simply platonic_, and how he sounded like he was joking when he said that. What the hell was it all supposed to mean?

At least tomorrow was Saturday, and he could stay home, avoid everyone. His breath caught in his throat when he remembered that Sam and Castiel would be going to church together that Sunday, and then they would be telling Sam and Dean's mother about their new relationship at dinner later that night. Dean had a weird feeling about everything surrounding Sam and Castiel.

* * *

**A/N: **Here's the wall of fame this chapter. Just one name. Not threatening or anything, but I'll stop doing this unless I get lots of reviews, because otherwise it's kinda pointless.

Wall of Fame

Katie1689, Fer Hummel

Woo, you guys rock. Hey, Katie, we share the same name, except mine is spelled a little differently than yours.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Sorry guys that this chapter is a little shorter than normal. I honestly wasn't feeling inspired enough. I know how the story is going to end, and I have some ideas for what should happen until then, but other than that, I've kinda hit a wall. I promise I won't disappoint though.

* * *

"Okay, here we go," Dean said, sliding a sandwich on a glass plate across the table to Sam. He then sat down with his own sandwich – turkey, with cheddar cheese and plenty of veggies. He struggled not to laugh when Sam unfolded a napkin, spreading it in his lap.

Sam noticed and rolled his eyes. "Grow up, Dean. These uniforms are hard as hell to wash stains out of." He'd stopped by for lunch, still clad in his beige sheriff uniform. It was a good look for him.

They were quiet for a few minutes, just enjoying their meals, until Dean asked, "So how'd things go Sunday night?" As far as he knew, Sam and Castiel were supposed to have told their mother, Mary, about their relationship.

Sam gave a nod, chewing the bite in his mouth. "It went pretty well, actually." He took a drink of his beer before continuing. "She was kinda surprised, but she seemed happy." They both chuckled a little. For another moment, they were silent, then Sam stated, "Castiel really had a good time with you the other night."

Dean pursed his lips. "Really? He seemed pretty miserable when I picked him up."

Though he had a smile, Sam's jaw was locked, like he was trying not to get angry. "Well, you must've put him better spirits. He mentioned wanting to do it again sometime."

Swallowing hard, Dean asked, "He said that?"

"And you said it, too."

Dean chuckled nervously. "Yeah, well, like I said, he's a good cook." It made him strangely happy to know that Castiel had a good time, despite being wet and cold at first. He remembered Castiel's laugh, and the look on his face when Dean called him Cas. And Dean thought about Castiel's reaction to hearing he hadn't lied when he said he thought Castiel was beautiful. He cleared his throat, pulling himself from this thoughts. "So, what d'you guys have planned? Anything?"

Nodding as he chewed, Sam answered, "Yeah, we're celebrating our one month this weekend."

With wide eyes, Dean said, "Oh, uh, wow. A month already?" He knew that Sam and Castiel had already been dating for two weeks before Dean found out, but man, the time had flown.

Sam chuckled, nodding again. "Yeah, I know. It's kinda bizarre. But we're going to the movies, and I'm taking him to dinner. Somewhere nice."

"Oh yeah?" On the inside, Dean was frowning. Really? Dinner and a movie? That wasn't really a special date. Sam should be more creative, like making a picnic for Castiel on the outskirts of town. He could do the classic blanket and basket, bring some potato salad and burgers. Maybe he could convince Castiel to make a bundt cake or a cobbler a few days before, not telling him what it was really for. And they could just lay on the blanket, maybe feeding each other, sharing secrets and childhood memories. And when the sun went down, Sam could hold Castiel in his arms and hum "A Horse with No Name," just to be so random that it would make Castiel laugh. Castiel had the greatest laugh.

Or maybe, if they were a little braver, they could go kayaking in the river. People never went out there this time of the year because the waters were a little higher, and it could be an adventure. Castiel would get a chance to use those secretly-sculpted arms of his, finally wear something more casual than a button up. He could see Castiel in a plain t-shirt and swimming trunks, feeling self conscious about being so naked in public. He himself would be shirtless, because he didn't care if anyone saw him that way.

They'd probably end up racing to calmer waters, and Dean would win, and Castiel would laugh and use his oar to tip Dean's kayak over. And he wouldn't be coming up, and Castiel would get really worried. He'd lean over his boat, calling out Dean's name, and Dean would pop up, overturning Castiel's kayak. Castiel would come up for air, acting determinedly furious with Dean, saying, "You could've killed me!" But he'd forgive Dean a few seconds later, because he would be laughing and flashing that smile Castiel loved so much, and so he'd just swim over by Dean and splash him before wrapping his arms around his neck-

What?

When did this become a date between Dean and Castiel?

Dean stared at his sandwich in disbelief. What did this mean? Did Dean have a secret crush on Ca- ah yeah, let's not go there. Dean waved the thought away, taking a huge bite of his sandwich. When he had finished chewing, he asked, "Hey, so you've been with Castiel for a while." Sam looked at him with eyebrows raised, so Dean continued. "What's the tattoo on his back?"

Sam smiled. "Oh, did Gabe tell you about that? It's a wing." _A wing? _"It goes all the way from the top of his shoulder," as he spoke, Sam ran a hand over his own back to show what he was talking about, "all the way down past his hips. It ends at the very top of his backside." Why didn't Sam say ass? "It's really cool, from what I hear."

That confused Dean. "Wait, you haven't seen it? Haven't you seen him without a shirt yet?"

Looking a little offended, Sam scoffed. "Geez, what kinda guy do you think I am, Dean? No, we haven't slept together yet. Not even close. He told me what it was on our second date."

A very befuddling situation, indeed. So, Sam hadn't seen it, and Castiel had told him what it was himself. But, wasn't it that Castiel only told people what his tattoo was if he wasn't interested in having a relationship with them? That was what Gabriel had told Dean. So, if Castiel just told Sam what the tattoo was, he wasn't interested in being with him long term? And why did he hide what it was from Dean? Did he like Dean?

His thoughts were interrupted – thankfully – when there was a knock at the door. A grateful Dean didn't hesitate to stand, walking with long strides into the living room. He wet his lips before swinging the door open. On the other side of the screen door was Castiel, holding a pie. He was smiling. "Hello, Dean," he said in a soft voice. Castiel was wearing a light orange (kinda peachy) button up shirt, the sleeves rolled up like last time, and faded jeans. He still wore dress shoes, though. Dean liked seeing him in casual wear.

Dean swallowed, smiling back. "Hi, Cas." Castiel stepped back so Dean could open the screen door for him. "Come on in-"

"Castiel?"

The smile dropped off Castiel's face as he peered around Dean to see Sam standing in the archway of the kitchen. He seemed visibly nervous. "Oh, hello Sam. I…" What was that sentence going to be? _I made pie. _Or _I didn't expect you to be here. _Dean's heart was going crazy.

Sam smiled, walking towards him. "Did you make a pie?"

Castiel was quiet, just staring, and then he looked down at the pie he was holding. "Yeah." He walked inside, and Dean closed the doors behind him. "I wasn't planning on staying, I was just going to drop this off." He half smiled at Dean. "I asked Gabe. He said peach pie was your favorite."

Dean's eyes lit up. "You made me a peach pie?" He happily took it from the smiling Castiel. With a grin, he said, "Oh god, you're a keeper." Then he saved himself, looking at Sam, telling him, "Don't let go of this one." _Okay, everything's okay._

The younger Winchester breathed a sigh, smiling. "Yeah, he's great." He closed the distance between himself and Castiel, tilting the shorter man's head up to give him a kiss. And it wasn't a quick peck, or a slightly-drawn-out-yet-chaste kiss. No, Sam really planted one on him, gripping Castiel's chin in his fingers so he couldn't run away. Castiel let out a surprised noise, but seemed to kiss back, one hand on Sam's arm. Castiel didn't close his eyes right away. It just went on and on, Sam really just taking control of Castiel's mouth. A kiss like that, and Dean wasn't supposed to suspect they'd spent any time in the bedroom? Not even _close_?

Something clenched deep inside of Dean. It was kind of like the feeling you get when you do 1,000 sit ups, and the next day your stomach is so sore it hurts to move even a little. He grit his teeth, and his hands tightened into fists at his sides. The thing was, Dean couldn't blame this on homophobia, not at all. As hard as it may be to admit, this was _jealousy_. And that was what Sam wanted. He was making a spectacle of kissing Castiel just a foot away from Dean just to drive him crazy, to say _stay away from this. This belongs to me._

Dean wanted to punch him. He wanted to tackle his little brother and tell him not to kiss Castiel like that. Especially since Castiel seemed like he hadn't planned on seeing Sam, and he acted like he didn't even _want _to be kissing Sam. Castiel came there for _him_, not Sam. Dean was fuming, even though he didn't want to be. When they parted, Sam just smiled at Castiel, who wasn't smiling back. "So what's on the agenda, angel? You have plans for tonight?"

Castiel looked down at the floor. "Well, I still have papers to grade. And I have to make dinner, yet. Gabriel has requested macaroni casserole." Dean didn't think Castiel was all too happy to be around Sam. Hell, he could barely look at the guy.

Sam frowned, but his voice didn't sound too disappointed. "That's too bad. I've missed you." _Oh come on, you guys just had dinner a couple of days ago. _Dean didn't appreciate that Sam was trying to make Castiel feel guilty for not wanting to spend every second together.

With a tiny smile, Castiel said, "That's sweet." He didn't mention missing Sam back. After clearing his throat, he looked at Dean. "Well, I hope you enjoy the pie. I haven't tried making peach before, so it might not be my best. Please don't hold it against me."

Dean just smiled reassuringly. "I'm sure it tastes like sunshine." Castiel smiled back at him, and that made Dean happy. He glanced at Sam, then said, "Uh, I'll let you two tell each other goodbye." Quickly, he went to the kitchen, but he hid behind the wall by the arch where they couldn't see.

He heard Sam's voice say, "Well, call me later, angel." Then there was silence, so Dean peeked. They were kissing again. Dean grit his teeth. Castiel's eyes were initially closed, but then they opened, and he actually looked directly at Dean, who froze. Castiel didn't suddenly look shocked, and he didn't start kissing Sam with more ferocity. In fact, it looked like he was barely kissing Sam at all, but Sam had the attitude that if he grabbed something in Castiel's mouth he would win a prize

And then, Dean knew. Castiel wasn't happy. He had told Sam about his tattoo on the second date because he didn't really want to be with Sam anymore, but he didn't have the heart to break up with him. Dean could believe it; Castiel was entirely too kind to stomp on any hearts. And now, Castiel was stuck between a rock and a hard place. If he left now, things would always been awkward between himself and Sam, but the longer he stayed, the more miserable he was.

When they parted, Dean stopped watching and he walked away, placing the pie on the counter. He could hear Sam and Castiel talking, but not enough to understand, then he heard the door open and close.

* * *

Sam didn't stay too long after that. He made up some excuse about having to go on his rounds, and he left. So, Dean was alone with his thoughts.

Was he really starting to think about the fact that he may like guys? Mr. Strictly Heterosexual Dean Winchester? Well, he'd run into a situation like this once before, when he was in his twenties. But it hadn't been everything he'd wanted – not because there was another man involved, but because of the absence of feelings. It was more like Dean was a pillow that the other guy could practice his moves on, and the pillow had some tricks of its own. Not much had happened there (as in, Dean still had his man virginity) but Dean still thought about him sometimes.

He'd never thought that it could mean he liked guys in general. _That guy _had been really special to Dean, so he always wanted to think that outside of _that guy_, Dean's sexuality only extended to girls. He was the only one that bent the rules. That was about eight years ago.

But now there was Castiel. He was generous and caring, and Dean had this feeling that Castiel was one of those guys that didn't get angry easily. Dean needed that in a partner, probably more than anything, because he always seemed to be doing stupid things that pissed off the other person. Plus, Castiel had just brought him a peach pie. He could've brought any pie – he didn't even have to bring a pie. Castiel just made him a pie to be nice; not only that, but he asked Gabe was Dean's favorite was so he could make it special just for him. Now _that_ was amazing. The only other person who'd done stuff like that for him was his mother.

Even better, Castiel wasn't all goody-two-shoes. He had two tattoos, one of which was incredibly huge and didn't stop until it reached his ass. That was incredibly sexy and rebellious, just like if Castiel had been the preacher's daughter that dated a bad boy with a motorcycle. (Hmm, Dean had a motorcycle in the garage he hadn't driven in forever. Maybe Castiel would enjoy a ride sometime?) And on top of it all, Castiel was definitely not unattractive. In fact, he was _very _good-looking.

Not matter what, though, Dean told himself it was wrong. Castiel was dating his little brother, so there was nothing Dean could do. Except, Castiel wasn't happy, and he wasn't courageous enough to end it himself. He didn't want to break Sam's heart. And Sam was obviously nutty about Castiel, so he wasn't going to end the relationship anytime soon. So then, what? Castiel and Sam would just continue this dance forever, well after the sun went down?

No, something had to be done. Dean couldn't just stand back and watch this happen and not do anything. Castiel wasn't happy, but he couldn't save himself. And Sam was oblivious. Because if Sam had any inkling that Castiel was unhappy, he'd never push as hard as he did. Dean knew his brother, and Sam wasn't a bad guy at all. He would never want Castiel to be unsatisfied. They had to break up. It was the only way. Sam would find someone else. Why not Gabriel? Gabriel could give Sam everything he needed or wanted, Dean was sure of it.

And then, maybe Dean could have a shot with Castiel…

Was he really thinking about this? Well of course he was. If he was honest with himself, Dean had thought of almost nothing but Castiel for the past two weeks. Going crazy trying to figure out what his tattoo was, thinking about how helpless and adorable he looked soaking wet in Gabe's shop, wondering what Castiel really thought of him, imagining their own perfect dates together. Dean didn't intend to go crazy about his little brother's boyfriend, but now the lights were on, and the evidence was there. Dean had red hands, and as far as he could tell, there was no washing it away.

Dean hated himself for it, he really did. He'd put himself in a situation where someone was bound to get hurt. And it could be any of them; that was the worst part. He'd let himself start to fall for someone he couldn't have. And there was always the possibility that Castiel wasn't even interested in him. Maybe the way he was around Sam was just how he acted with his relationships. Hell, Dean barely knew Castiel. It was all a big mistake, of course it was. But there had to be some way for it to work out. Dean didn't want to hide anymore. Yes, okay, he was _slightly _interested in men. Not all men, just some of them. So far, Castiel was only the second. And it'd taken Dean years to get over the first.

No, this one wasn't going to get away from him. Not this time. He'd let everything with the _other guy _fall apart, and he wasn't going to let it happen again. Was he afraid? Shit yes. He knew someone was going to get hurt, but anything would have to be better than Castiel suffering in silence. And his little brother deserved someone who could reciprocate his feelings.

So, the plan became that Dean would find a way to draw Sam's interest away from Castiel and towards Gabriel. Then, when Castiel was open for grabs, maybe Dean would see what Castiel really thought of him.

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**A/N: **Okay, two reviews this chapter. You guys get to be on the wall of fame!

Wall of Fame

katie1689, angel de acuario

katie1689: Mine is actually spelled with a d: Kadie. Weird, I know. I think I might be named after Joshua Kadison… angel de acuario: Hmm, I speak a little Spanish, but I'm not too good at it. Google translate thinks you said you hope Sam and Gabriel end up dating. I can't give spoilers, but I can promise you'll be happy with the ending of the story.

And the tidbit about how painful you feel the next day after 1,000 sit ups, yeah that's purely from experience. My abs are killin' me right now.


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